I know a band called The Wombats - they're pretty good, make sure to check them out! -, but didn't know how the real Wombat was like, so I decided to dig a little bit. This pretty little marsupial up here is a herbivore and nocturnal rodent from Australia, which usually feeds on bark, grasses and roots. They have very slow metabolism and, thus, slow digestion, which helps them survive in dry places. The wombat is a solitary animal that lives in burrows and those can be turned into extensive burrow-and-chamber complexes. Other similar wombat species are more social. That burrowing habit, though, can be really bad for the soil of Australian farms, which causes wombats to be hunted like vermin. Some species are even considered considered critically endangered because of gunning for their fur, or just for fun.

The first time I read about inselbergs I thought I had read "icebergs" in the wrong way. But it wasn't the case. The word "inselberg" comes from the German "insel" (= island) and "berg" (= mountain), and basically means an isolated hill that stands above plains and appears like an island rising from the sea... But on dry land. They're relict features, since they maintained their form as the surrounding landscape was lowered.

This canid is typically known as Australia's wild dog, and is probably a descendant of wolves. Specialists claim that Australian dingoes come from a dingo species from Southeast Asia, brought to the continent from 3,000 to 4,000 years ago. They may live alone (generally young males) or in packs of up to ten individuals. They breed once a year and dominant breeding females may kill other female's offspring. Dingoes are carnivores and, because of that, they roam great distances. With a big living area, comes the need for efficient communication. That's where the wolf-like howls come in. They have three basic types of howls: 1) Moans; 2) Bark-howls and 3) Snuffs (which seems to include 10 variations). These vocalizations travel over long distances, and may be used to locate other wild dogs, attract pack members and also to repel intruders from the pack's home range. The frequency of howling in dingoes varies through the year and can be affected by dispersal, lactation, breeding and social stability. Also like the wolves, dingoes are treated as a "pest" in their country, and are often eliminated so that they won't attack sheep. Nowadays, they are considered a vulnerable species, even though they can interbreed with domestic dogs. In fact, studies suggest that a third of all Australian dingoes are hybrids.

While growing up I was never a big fan of horses. Still today I can't ride them or even get close to them without being a little afraid that they will knock me out with their paws... But I can't deny the simple truth: they're stupendous animals! Icelandic horses, in that matter, are even cooler, and I'll tell you why in the next lines. First of all, they're unique to Iceland. They are descendants of ponies brought to the country by Scandinavian settlers in the 9th and 10th centuries. Since then, the species suffered severe Natural Selection, given that the environmental conditions in Iceland are harsh. The "weaker ones" often died by starvation or cold. That made those horses (they can also be referred as ponies, because of their tiny size - but Icelanders don't have a word for "pony", so they call'em "horses" anyway) stronger and more resistant, and still today they are used to carry heavy things around the country. They are also used for leisure, racing and showing. The breed has two extra and unique gaits ("gait" is a way a horse can move, either naturally or as a result of training by humans), called tölt and skeið. The other gaits they have are the common walk, trot, gallop/canter. The tölt is a lateral ambling gait, with a footfall pattern similar to the walk (left hind, left front, right hind, right front), but its different from it because the tölt can be performed in various speeds. The skeid , on the other hand, is a pace often used in races, since it's fast and smooth (left hind and left front, suspension, right hind and right front). A curious thing about Icelandic horses is that they have very few diseases. This is accomplished by strict laws that prevent horses that leave the country from coming back, and other horses can not be imported. The equine equipment that arrives in Iceland also needs to be new or entirely disinfected before having contact with the horses. This results in almost no acquired immunity to diseases in those animals, and an outbreak on the island could probably devastate the breed. Let's hope that won't happen!

Yup. They live in the Simpson desert, a region known as Outback, in central Australia. The species was brought from India in 1860 to accompany explorers such as Burke and Wills when they crossed Australia, because of their great endurance, strength and hydro economy in dry places. Nowadays, they form great flocks and give prejudice to farmers, ruining their fences, for example.

This man's name was mentioned quite a bit while I read about Australia and its wonders. I was always a fan of great discoverers and explorers, but can't say I know many of them. So it's time to change it! James Cook was a British navigator and explorer, famous for sailing the Pacific Ocean, discovering Australia, circumnavigating New Zealand, mapping faithfully the maritime borders of USA and Canada, among other great deeds. Many men were famous for navigating the oceans, but Cook caught my attention for his humble origin: his father was a farmer from Marton, North Yorkshire, a place 16 km apart from the sea. The boy learned how to read and write with the proprietress of the land his family used to work. Mathematics soon followed in a local school but, when he was 12, he was forced to stop studying. A couple of years later, after working in a collier ship, he began to study the basics to be a commander: algebra, geometry, trigonometry, navigation and astronomy. He was also a very talented and competent mapper, which was rapidly noticed by the merchant navy. His fierce determination made him the incredible figure he is now known to be! He is also credited for inventing the word "tattoo" (though, in his journal, he wrote "tattow"), an onomatopoeia based on the sounds the thorns made when marking the skin of natives with ink. Captain Cook was killed in 1776 by Hawaiian natives, in a fight with his crew.

After I read about the biggest butterflies in the world, I kept wondering if moths could get as big as them. Turns out they can! The Coscinocera hercules or Hercules Moth can reach up to 28 cm wingspan. Which, in my dictionary, means "OMG, that's huge!" This species comes from Papua New Guinea (again, I know. But it's such a unique country!) and North Queensland (Australia), where it inhabits rain forests. They feed on plants, although their larvae consumes most or all of its own discarded skin. The female moths are larger than the males, and live longer than the one or two days the males do - they basically exist only to mate and they're done (poor things!). They are easy prey for many predators, specially the Black Blutcher bird. By the way, check out their caterpillar! It can reach up to 10 cm, which is quite a considerable size. To see one of them getting out of the cocoon after metamorphosis must be awesome - and a little bit scary if you're afraid of moths.

Yesterday I was telling my friend Nana about how much I am enjoying the "Vikings" series from History Channel when she suggested that I make a post about those nice fellows, and find out once and for all if their helmets had horns or not. So, here it is! Turns out that, according to archeologists, the Vikings did NOT use horns in their helmets. Those ornaments, wings and antlers, amongst other things, could be used, though, in ritual helmets for special occasions, but specialists aren't sure about it. The only "evidence" from the use of such ornamented helmets comes from the Oseberg tapestry from the ninth century, in which the relevant figure could be portraying a god, instead of a real Viking. There are also reports from Greeks and Romans referring to northerners and their horned and winged helmets, but those writings are considered prior to the Vikings we know now (which archeologists believe to have started the late eighth century). But how did this notion of horned helmets became so strong? Specialists, actually, put some of the blame on Wagner and his famous opera "Der Ring des Nibelungen" from 1876. His costume designer, Professor Carl Emil Doepler, created horned helmets for the first Bayreuth production of it. A little before that, Scandinavians were experiencing a upsurge of interest about their own culture and folklore, after the 18th century's main focus on trying to imitate sophisticated Parisian fashions. As a result, painters and other artists began to portrait the Vikings as Wagner's opera did, and the image began to spread around the world. So, kids, if you are thinking about dressing as a true Viking anytime soon, take off the horns from your helmets! People might confuse you for a Rohirrim or a random-medieval-warrior, but at least you'll know your costume is historically accurate!

And I thought ostriches were tall! Well, in the case of the Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius) - who happens to also be part of the family of ratite birds -, things can get really high... And tough! This animal from Oceania is famous for being easily stressed by and for getting violent with people, other animals and inanimate objects such as glass and cars. The last fatal attack on a person, however, occurred in 1926. Most attacks usually are related to search for food or encounters with humans amidst the bird's territory.A curious feature about this animal is its protruding crestal bone, which ornithologists found out that can be used to open way through dense forests when escaping. They have solitary habits, hiding during the day in clenched shrubs and moving more in the twilight. Despite their great size, they can run pretty fast, swim very well and jump up to 1m high. So watch out for its kung-fu style kicks if you ever happen to get near a cassowary!